NATIONAL
In California, hundreds of demonstrators protested the Sonoma Valley Unified School District’s new policy that has forced the removal of the pride flag first raised on the school’s campus by students in 2019, The Sonoma Index-Tribune reported. “We have to make sure that flag stays up. … So it’s a reminder that you can’t erase history,” said Sonoma Valley High junior Andy Amezquita, who, like dozens of other students, walked out of classes to join the protest.
Openly gay reality-TV star Jason Lee was removed from his role as vice mayor of Stockton, California—after he offered to resign from the position, SFGate noted. The development happened more than a year after Lee was accused of being tied to an unauthorized $50,000 payment made to the comedy show Wild ’N Out—and cleared. There were also feuds with other councilmembers. Lee, who was elected in 2024, was appointed the city’s vice mayor in early 2025 by Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration regarding the immediate enforcement of new medical restrictions for transgender inmates, per the AP. The decision leaves a lower-court block on the policy in place. It was adopted after an executive order from President Trump, who has taken several steps to roll back transgender rights during his second term. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.
Nearly nine in 10 U.S. companies that named LGBTQ+ people in their board diversity disclosures in 2024 have now stopped including them, according to Out Leadership’s OutQUORUM 2026 Global Board Diversity Report, Visibility Counts: The Rollback and the Road Ahead. Of those, 443 specifically dropped LGBTQ+ people while still naming gender and race or ethnicity.
Elon Musk donated $158 million to Texas PAC—a super PAC supporting Texas’ anti-transgender Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) Senate campaign, LGBTQ Nation noted, citing Axios. Musk was the only donor to Texas PAC in its third quarter. Paxton is running against Democrat James Talarico.
Talking with CBS, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito—known for his very conservative stances—weighed in on marriage equality, per LGBTQ Nation. Alito said, ““I did not think that there was any realistic prospect that it would be overruled because of the passage of time and the developments of the country since that point. After Obergefell, people of the same sex got married and entered into contracts, so it was much more concrete [than Roe].“
Prominent Republican Dade Phelan—the former speaker of the Texas House of Representatives—told Texas Monthly that attacks on trans people aren’t resonating with the voters who could decide upcoming elections, PinkNews noted. Phelan (who is still a state rep) said, “Let’s be honest: The 8 to 10% of voters in the middle who are going to decide this election, when they hear stuff about boys in girls’ sports, they don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
In Washington, a legal settlement prompted state officials to revise its foster-care licensing rules, banning the state from denying or restricting a license solely because of a caregiver’s religious beliefs, according to KOMO. The settlement is from a lawsuit filed by a Port Orchard couple who said the state denied their foster-care license renewal in 2022. The agreement affects licensing rules involving foster parents and LGBTQ+ youth.
Alec Blade, a gay man, filed a lawsuit against the video-game store GameStop, alleging that Brooklyn store co-worker Julian Espinoza made threats and comments against him, per LGBTQ Nation. Blade claimed that the other employee created a hostile workplace that violated a New York human rights law and Title VII. Eventually, both were fired.
In the documentary The CLOSETocracy, three sex workers claim that the late Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham paid them for sex—including one who says he was 17, per The Advocate. Graham, who died July 11 at age 71, publicly denied being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Gilbert, Arizona resident Austin Jay Curtis is facing felony charges after investigators said unwanted messages (including more than 100 voicemails) to a former schoolmate escalated into threats of violence against her and LGBTQ+ people, per The Advocate. KSAZ reported that Curtis said in one of the voicemails that he would “drive a U-Haul through a parade of homosexuals and start firing at everybody.”
In Illinois, members of the Evanston Township High School marching band and color guard were allegedly pelted with racist and homophobic remarks during a football game at the new Ryan Field in Evanston, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Among those speaking before the New Trier School Board about the incident was Jennifer Sadler, who said, “As they were getting ready to perform and while they were sitting down, [my daughter] was called n– and f–t. And, she was told to go kill herself.” New Trier Superintendent Dr. Peter Tragos apologized.
Openly gay Republican figure Ric Grennell is at the center of a controversy involving a disputed text message promising proximity to President Donald Trump as well as a multimillion-dollar Kennedy Center donation that allegedly never arrived, The Advocate noted, citing Axios. Grenell denied sending the message and claims that he diverted money.
In Oakland, California, the building housing the U.S.’s longest continuously-running queer bar is for sale, per The Bay Area Reporter. The property, located at 6551 Telegraph Ave., is home to the White Horse Inn, which has been open since at least 1933. According to realtor Tamara Spokane, the building has been for sale since Oct. 2, with an asking price of $2.5 million.
After months of controversy, Philadelphia queer women’s sports bar Martha’s closed its doors after about a year in operation, according to Them. After police raided Martha’s in February because of suspected underage drinking, Marsha’s faced an online firestorm of controversy after an employee took to social media to accuse the bar’s then-general manager, Rylan Murphy, of creating a hostile work environment for female employees and employees of color.
WORLD
Iceland has implemented new gender-neutral blood-donation guidelines that will now allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood, The Washington Blade noted, citing The Iceland Review. However, it should be known that a person with HIV, human T-lymphotropic virus-1, hepatitis B or C, or syphilis cannot donate blood; also, someone who has taken PrEP or PEP in the previous four months cannot donate.
The organizers of Wales’ Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival announced that Luís Hindman won the prestigious £40,000 ($53,275 U.S.) Iris Prize supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation for his film Magid/Zafar, a press release noted. Hindman is a BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning writer/director of South Asian and Northern Irish descent whose early short films were first recognized in 2015 when he received the One to Watch award from Into Film.
An op-ed that ran on the Erasing 76 Crimes website contended that five anti-gay countries shouldn’t be on the UN Human Rights Council. African Human Rights Coalition Executive Director Melanie Nathan stated that African countries Zambia, Ghana, Burundi and Nigeria—all of which imprison people involved in same-sex relations—should not be part of the group. The fifth country is Kuwait, where queer citizens are subject to up to seven years’ imprisonment.
Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP)—which is responsible for overseeing elections—announced another postponement of the scheduled election calendar due to organizational issues, concerning LGBTQ+-rights advocates, Erasing 76 Crimes noted. “The population needs security, but it also needs legitimate representatives and democratic institutions,” stated Merlin Jean, an activist from Ouanaminthe.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and fiancé Nicolás Keenan are expecting a child next year, per The Advocate. “Someone very special is on the way. See you in 2027, little one,” a post stated in Dutch, Spanish and English. “There are no words big enough to thank our egg donor, our surrogate mum Lisa and both their families.” Jetten, 38, made history earlier this year by becoming the first openly gay and youngest Dutch prime minister.
In London, masked trans-rights protesters rushed the red carpet ahead of a gala performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre—with one wearing a T-shirt reading “Rowling money kills,” PinkNews noted. The “Rowling money kills” slogan criticized JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author known for espousing anti-trans views. However, Rowling has denied being transphobic and has said she respects “every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them.”
Ciiara Baker—who performs as Ciiara Nyx and who won over all four coaches on The Voice UK during the blind auditions—said music helped her make sense of the feelings she experienced growing up as a transgender woman, per the BBC. “I’ve never really been good with maybe saying things, so putting it into music is a lot more of an easier outlet for me,” she said.
SHOWBIZ
Queer Project Hail Mary puppeteer James Ortiz has been selected as Them’s inaugural Person of the Year. The outlet noted that queerness has always been part of Ortiz’s career, from his time designing puppets for his Texas community college’s production of The Rocky Horror (Puppet) Show to his Obie Award-winning work on The Woodsman.
The Utah Queer Film Festival will run its 23rd annual festival on Nov. 6-8, with 35 LGBTQ+ independent films, per its website. For the first time, all in-person screenings, Q&As,and artist performances will take place at Utah Film Center’s Geralyn White Dreyfous building in Salt Lake City. Select films will also be available virtually Nov. 9-15. Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, Test and Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror will be among the films shown.
Chicago’s first Dare to Dream Film Festival took place Oct. 21 at the Davis Theater, showcasing 11 short films from local, national and international filmmakers, per Block Club Chicago. Dare to Dream is an organization that “intentionally creates space for voices too often overlooked by the film industry, including LGBTQ+, BIPOC, neurodivergent, disabled and women filmmakers,” according to a press release. AI-generated art was banned from the festival, with queer Dare to Dream founder Bridget Johnson saying, “Filmmaking takes so much creativity, collaboration and perseverance. I want to celebrate that very human process.”
Out gay actor Colman Domingo was among those who received special awards at The Academy Museum Gala, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The sixth annual event also handed awards to actress Charlize Theron (who appeared with her daughters) and director John Carpenter (the original Halloween). Tom Ford, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw co-chaired the event, which counted Demi Moore and Kerry Washington among attendees—and Taylor Swift as the headline performer.
Bette Midler accepted the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, KTUL noted. The honor recognizes artists who carry the Oklahoma native’s belief that music can be a force for good. During the event, Midler performed Guthrie’s 1940 song “All You Fascists (Bound to Lose),” accompanied by country musician Bryan Andrews.
Dancers Against Cancer’s annual Gala of the Stars benefit honored Missy Elliott on Oct. 22 with the Icon Award at this year’s event, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Janet Jackson—who received the honor in 2025—returned to present Elliott with the award.
Romeo Beckham—a son of David and Victoria Beckham—is making his acting debut in the upcoming queer French film Forty Love, per Just Jared. The model/former soccer player stars alongside Paul Kircher as rival tennis players who become involved with each other. The movie also stars Guillaume Canet and Benjamin Voisin, with a special appearance by Catherine Deneuve.
Queer actor/singer Todrick Hall is dealing with controversy over Midnight—a musical set in the antebellum South, Queerty noted. Hall plays Rail, a slave who falls in love with a white man engaged to the daughter of a plantation owner. “This is three hours of Black trauma,” one TikTok user said; however, another social-media user stated, “I thought it was one of the best new original musicals I’ve seen in the last 10 years.”
Non-binary Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee has stepped away from the national tour of Oh, Mary! to focus on their health—part of ongoing treatment for kidney disease, Playbill revealed. Ghee had originally been announced to launch the tour as Mary’s Husband, moving into the title role early next year. The production will continue to star Alaska Thunderf*ck as Mary Todd Lincoln and John-Andrew Morrison as Mary’s Husband through Jan. 17, 2027.
STARZ released the first five minutes from the upcoming season-three premiere of P-Valley exclusively to subscribers on the STARZ app and on linear leading into an all-new episode of S.W.A.T. Exiles, a press release noted. This will mark the first extended preview for fans ahead of the debut of the third and final season with two new episodes dropping Friday, Dec. 4.
Morrissey released two 7” vinyl singles with A-sides taken from his newest album, Make-Up Is a Lie, out now via Sire/Warner Records, per a press release. “Kerching Kerching” (the first single) is backed with “Isle of Dogs,” while the pro-animal anthem “Zoom Zoom the Little Boy” is backed with “Without Music The World Dies.”
Cinephobia Releasing announced the home entertainment release of the LGBTQ+ comedy drama The Divine Tragedy from award-winning director Sergio Tovar Velarde (4 Moons) on Nov. 3, per a press release. The film follows Cristián, a former telenovela actor and refined traditionalist gay man who is abandoned by his rich husband, Carlos, after a 24-year relationship. Cristián must then live with his wild, sexually hedonistic gay half-brother, Roy; the two wildly different men must learn to coexist while trying to rebuild their lives.
The Country Music Association (CMA)—in collaboration with Belmont University, The Walt Disney Company and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC)—revealed that its previously announced commitment to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has resulted in a combined donation of $1 million, per a press release.
Actor Scott Bakula will make his LA Opera debut this fall in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, which will also star three-time Tony winner Patti LuPone, per Deadline. Francesca Zambello’s production will return to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for six performances from Nov. 21 through Dec. 13 that will be conducted by LA Opera Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados.
Yes, Glee is returning. Variety reported that Disney+ and Hulu have greenlit a reboot of Ryan Murphy‘s musical dramedy series. “The show ran on Fox during 2009-15 and followed a group of show choir members from Lima, Ohio.
Transgender and nonbinary actor Asia Kate Dillon (Billions; John Wick 3) shared a plea to find work in the service industry, stating that acting jobs have disappeared for them, according to Them. As Taylor Mason on the Showtime drama Billions, Dillon became the first nonbinary main character in a North American television series in 2017.
Grammy-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter JHart released the seven-song EP The Full Fantasy, per a media release. According to the release, “beyond music, JHart appeared on Netflix’s globally successful series Hitmakers and continues to use his platform to champion authenticity, LGBTQ+ visibility, and emerging queer talent through both his artistry and advocacy.”
Queer Chicago Sky player Natasha Cloud—who is currently an unrestricted free agent—announced what she’s doing in the offseason, per Athlon Sports. Cloud announced that she was going back to her home of Allentown, Pennsylvania to, among other things, host an early voting tailgate/WNBA Finals watch party at Max & Butters on Oct. 24.
Hulu and FX gave an early renewal to a 14th season of American Horror Story, per Yahoo! The campy horror series returned for season 13 on Sept. 24 with a cast of returning Horror Story favorites, including Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman and Jessica Lange.
Model/reality-TV star Kendall Jenner refuted longtime rumors that she is a lesbian, per Them. Talking with queer supermodel/actress/musician Cara Delevingne during an episode of the new season of The Kardashians, Jenner said, “People think I’m a lesbian, to this day, because of our love for each other. I’m not, and I feel like you, out of everyone, would know.” Delevingne responded, “I can attest to the fact that you’re not.”